Documentary says science can improve adoption success, by changing parenting habits and teaching children to love

Share Article

A new documentary film suggests that older adopted children can be taught to love, and that this can result in more successful adoption. New research, shown in the film documentary 'The Dark Matter Of Love' suggests that love can 'rewire' the brains of older children, as long as their adoptive parents can get over the unhealthy parenting habits they’ve inherited from their own parents.

The Dark Matter Of Love film poster

A new documentary film suggests that older adopted children can be taught to love, and that this can result in more successful adoptions.

Past News Releases

A new documentary film suggests that older adopted children can be taught to love, and that this can result in more successful adoption. New research, shown in the film documentary 'The Dark Matter Of Love' suggests that love can 'rewire' the brains of older children, as long as their adoptive parents can get over the unhealthy parenting habits they’ve inherited from their own parents.

Statistics show that around 20% of the 3,200 UK adoptions every year will fail, with the figure rising to 30% with older children.

Dr Robert Marvin, whose work is featured in 'The Dark Matter Of Love' has spent a lifetime developing a programme designed to help adoptive families connect.

"A lot of the work focuses on helping the parent overcome the unhealthy relationship habits they’ve inherited from their Mum and Dad that are preventing them from giving their adoptive child what they need," Professor Marvin explains.

"It isn’t the age of adoption or the severity of the trauma the child has endured, the biggest factor in determining the success of adoptions is whether the parents are capable of having a secure, stable bond with the child."

The 90 minute feature documentary about a family going through Dr Marvin’s intervention is set to release early next year. The film follows Claudio and Cheryl Diaz as they adopt three Russian children, an eleven-year-old girl and two twin five-year-old boys.

Claudio inherited a very strict style of parenting from his father and his controlling tendencies prevent him from forming a bond with his new kids. Cheryl’s mother never encouraged her, so Cheryl struggles to appreciate her children’s achievements. Through intensive work with Dr Marvin, both Claudio and Cheryl manage to overcome their habitual behaviours and to form real meaningful bonds with their new children.

When Masha, the Diaz’s new 11 year old daughter, starts to connect with her parents she blossoms in every area of her development. Her school work improves, she starts to share her secrets with her new mother, and she makes friends at school.

Director of 'The Dark Matter Of Love' Sarah McCarthy explains: "Love is they key to every area of human development. Scientists at the University of Minnesota can predict with 77% accuracy whether an 18-month-old child will graduate high school based on the quality of its relationship with Mum. It’s a more accurate predictor than IQ."

"Evolution has hard wired us to love. Recent experiments with monkeys and owls have revealed that brains can be re-wired much later than originally thought. Masha rewired her brain, she learned to love. If more adoptive parents worked on their own emotional baggage we wouldn’t have to have 640 broken hearted children returning to our care systems every year," Sarah continued.